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ScienceQuiet 4d · day 4

LA suburbs embrace coexistence as black bears move in with expanding homes

As Los Angeles sprawls toward forests, residents and wildlife experts say safe cohabitation is possible through basic precautions.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 3d ago5 pieces NewswiresMastodonReddit

What to know

  • Black bears are increasingly appearing in LA suburbs as urban sprawl reaches their habitat; California's 50,000–70,000 bears include a few hundred near Angeles National Forest.
  • Safe coexistence is achievable: residents can remove attractions like trash, pet food, and fruit to discourage visits without harming bears.
  • Bears near human areas reproduce more often due to calorie-dense human food; the challenge is managing neighborhoods to keep them unattractive to wildlife.

“I realized, OK, I have an unnatural fear of these animals and we've kind of adapted to living around them.”

Brian Gordon, Monrovia resident · Guardian US ↗

Brian Gordon Monrovia resident documenting bear coexistenceWilson Sherman UCLA PhD student, human-wildlife interaction researcher

LA suburbs embrace coexistence as black bears move in with expanding homes
Guardian

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

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Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 12:59 AM ET
  1. 1

    Experts outline safe coexistence practices for bear-adjacent neighborhoods

    UCLA wildlife interaction researcher Wilson Sherman and Gordon's example demonstrate that bears can coexist with humans when neighborhoods remove attractions. Securing trash, eliminating pet food, and managing fruit trees reduces bear visits while allowing them to pass through safely.

    “Pet food left outside, koi ponds, fruit trees with a lot of fruit on them, swimming pools, all these things can be attractive to bears.”
    — Wilson Sherman
  2. background

    Gordon begins documenting bear family visits on PoolBearLife Instagram — After moving in, Gordon and his partner started regularly documenting their coexistence with a visiting bear family, posting videos of cubs in their pool and climbing trees to an Instagram account called PoolBearLife.

  3. background

    Brian Gordon and partner move to Monrovia, last house before forest — Gordon and his partner relocated to Monrovia, California—the state's bear capital—in a house positioned as the last residence before Angeles National Forest begins. They encountered bears during their home purchase.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 3 outlets Bear-y good neighbors: humans and animals are learning to live together in an expanding LA

    first by Guardian, 3d ago · also Guardian Environment, Guardian US